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Monday, June 11, 2018

Fw: TheList 4741

The List 4741 TGB

To All,

I hope that you all had a great weekend.

Regards,

Skip

June 11

1871—During the Korean Expedition, Rear Adm. John Rodger's squadron lands a party of 650 Marines and Sailors to attack and capture Fort McKee (also known as the Citadel), Korea. Fifteen receive the Medal of Honor for their action during the capture of the Korean fort.

1927—USS Memphis (CL 13) arrives at Washington, D.C., with Charles Lindbergh and his plane, Spirit of St. Louis, after his non-stop flight across the Atlantic. Later that day, Lindbergh becomes the first person to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross when President Calvin Coolidge presents the award at the Washington Monument grounds.

1944—F6Fs from TF 58, commanded by Vice Adm. Marc A. Mitscher, begin to intercept and splash Japanese planes in the vicinity of the Mariana Islands, taking the enemy by surprise.

1944—While operating off the Ryukyu Chain, Japan, two Japanese kamikazes attack USS LCS(L)(3) 122. Lt. Richard M. McCool, Jr. organizes a counter attack, downs one of the kamikazes, and damages the second before it crashes into his vessel. Severely wounded and suffering severe burns, he leads his men to fight the fires and rescue crewmembers. For his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity" on this occasion, McCool is awarded the Medal of Honor.

1994—USS Sirocco (PC 6) is commissioned at the Washington Navy Yard, the first commissioning of a Navy ship at that location in 120 years.

2017—The guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70) arrives in Colombo, Sri Lanka, to support humanitarian assistance operations in the wake of severe flooding and landslides that devastated many regions of the country.

Thanks to CHINFO

Executive Summary:

In today's national news headlines, media are reporting that a US Air Force officer who went missing 35 years ago has been found living under an assumed name in California, and multiple outlets reporting that President Trump refused to sign a communiqué of the Group of 7 major industrial economies and fired off a series of tweets early Monday criticizing Canada over trade policy. New York Times reports that President Trump and North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un have arrived in Singapore in advance of their summit, which begins on Tuesday. The Daily Press reports that Hon. James Geurts, ASA (RD&A) and Sen. Tim Kaine discussed naval expansion at a forum in Hampton Roads.

The Picture Has Become Iconic, But What Happened in this Fallujah House is Legendary

Every war has its iconic pictures that will forever resonate in the minds of the public and most certainly of the men who fought it. And while the war in Iraq would drag on for a decade, there are few pictures more memorable than First Sergeant Bradley Kasal exiting a Fallujah house that would become known as the "House of Hell."

Exiting the building bloodied from the waist down, this hardened warrior would have a firm grip on his pistol in one hand while being carried out by two Marines.

But if you ask any Marine, the one thing they praise about this picture as much as any other is the First Sergeant's remarkable trigger discipline. For they are taught early on that you keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready to fire. And for Kasal, being shot by seven 7.62 rounds and having over 40 pieces of hot fragmentation in him from grenades was no reason to break that rule.

Operation Phantom Fury

In early 2004, the Iraqi city of Fallujah was quickly becoming a hotbed for anti-American sentiment. While initially believed to be a pacified city, the March 2004 killings of private military contractors who subsequently had their bodies burned and hung over the river Euphrates proved otherwise.

While there was some debate over whether to conduct surgical strikes or a full-scale military assault, in the end, the military went in hard. However, after pressure from the Iraqi government, security for the city was eventually turned over to Iraqi forces and the Americans withdrew major components.

Eventually, those Iraqi forces dissolved then turned their American weapons over to the insurgents and set the stage for Operation Phantom Fury later that year. With the insurgents in possession of extra weapons, they began to build complex defensive networks and dig in throughout the city of Fallujah.

As the coming battle approached, it is estimated that nearly 75% to 90% of the civilian population fled making the city an all-out and open war zone. A force predominately filled by United States Marines would amass outside the town in preparation to take the city by force.

Some estimates have the insurgent forces totaling between 2,000 to 3,000, but exact numbers were never confirmed and considering the influx of foreign fighters it could have been much more. However, in the crucible of urban warfare, such a number in a defensive position can make the task quite difficult and deadly even against overwhelming odds.

The Marines would have to go street by street, block by block, and endure some of the heaviest fighting in urban terrain since Hue City in Vietnam. But as long as men like First Sergeant Kasal filled the ranks of the Marine Corps, no one expected the outcome to be anything less than victorious.

The House of Hell

The attack began on November 7th, 2004 as coalition forces poured into the city with the support of massive air power. As the Marines pushed through the city, they encountered a prepared defense and danger at every street corner. However, it was on November 13thafter a week of fighting that First Sergeant Kasal would walk into the Fallujah House of Hell and be carried out as an iconic image of the entire Iraq war.

One that day, two Marines would kick in a door to one of the many houses in that city and find an insurgent hiding behind a bedroom door. The Marines dealt with that insurgent as Marines often do when the firefight alerted two other insurgents on the roof and one in the stairwell to the fact that Marines were in the building.

Two insurgents fired into the house from a skylight and dropped grenades wounding a Marine. As the reinforcement Marines come in, a few more Marines were hurt and in one minute, this one house would become one of the bloodiest houses of the battle.

That is when First Sergeant Bradley Kasal heard the gunfire and rushed into action. Upon learning that wounded Marines were trapped in the house, he grabbed another Marine in support and charged into the house. Kicking in one door, he found an insurgent with an Ak-47, who hesitated but for a second.

That was enough time for Kasal to put a few rounds into his chest at point-blank range and move forward. The gunfire alerted the insurgents to a new incursion of Marines, and they sprayed Kasal and his fellow Marine with Ak-47 gunfire. With both Marines severely wounded, the insurgents dropped grenades to finish them off.

Kasal, already seriously wounded, threw his body on top of the junior wounded Marine and absorbed the brunt of the blast.

Carried to Fame

Believing to be mortally wounded, First Sergeant Kasal drew his pistol and prepared to defend against anyone coming to finish him or his fellow Marine off in the battle. Thankfully, Marines take care of Marines, and additional forces were rushing to their aid.

However, in what would be an over hour long battle, 10 Marines were critically wounded and one dead from this one house. Two Marines would carry First Sergeant Kasal out of that house as a photographer captured the moment for posterity.

For his actions that day, First Sergeant Kasal would be awarded the Navy Cross and eventually be promoted to Sergeant Major. And while you would have a hard time convincing now Sergeant Major Kasal that he is a hero, he would confess that he is but a representative of the Marines who fought so gallantly in the second battle of Fallujah.

The picture of First Sergeant Kasal would go on to become an iconic image of the war in Iraq and an actual memorial and war statue. The Marines would kill those who wounded Kasal and his Marines, and they would go on to clear the entire city of Fallujah.

Most fighting ended by mid-November, but pockets of resistance would continue into December of 2004. But for Sergeant Major Bradley Kasal a long and painful recovery process would await him.

However, he did it for his fellow Marines and had become an inspiration for the next generation of Marines ready to get into the fight who when all looks grim, will look out for the Marine next to him.

First Sergeant Kasal was assisting 1st Section, Combined Anti-Armor Platoon as they provided a traveling over watch for 3d Platoon when he heard a large volume of fire erupt to his immediate front, shortly followed by Marines rapidly exiting a structure. When First Sergeant Kasal learned that Marines were pinned down inside the house by an unknown number of enemy personnel, he joined a squad making entry to clear the structure and rescue the Marines inside. He made entry into the first room, immediately encountering and eliminating an enemy insurgent, as he spotted a wounded Marine in the next room.

While moving towards the wounded Marine, First Sergeant Kasal and another Marine came under heavy rifle fire from an elevated enemy firing position and were both severely wounded in the legs, immobilizing them. When insurgents threw grenades in an attempt to eliminate the wounded Marines, he rolled on top of his fellow Marine and absorbed the shrapnel with his own body.

When First Sergeant Kasal was offered medical attention and extraction, he refused until the other Marines were given medical attention. Although severely wounded himself, he shouted encouragement to his fellow Marines as they continued to clear the structure.

By his bold leadership, wise judgment, and complete dedication to duty, First Sergeant Kasal reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

Among the many gems is a reminder to all who study mankind's self-inflicted cataclysm: "Yet the overwhelming reality during the war…is that nobody knew how it would go." Winds of War/War and Remembrance, Herman Wouk

Before the battle was joined there was no way the Japanese could have lost it…once it began, there was no way they could have won it. The Barrier and the Javelin, H.P. Willmott

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Thanks to Gailard – and Dutch

Have you wondered what would happen if a delivery truck carrying hazardous materials such as oxygen and acetylene welding gas cylinders had an accident in front of you? View the video below for what actually happens. It's spectacular and just when you think it's all over - it's not!!So the next time one passes you on the road,give him lots of room.

(The picture freezes for a short time in the middle, but resumes after a few seconds)

Item Number:1 Date: 06/11/2018 AFGHANISTAN - TALIBAN ANNOUNCES 3-DAY CEASE-FIRE (JUN 11/TN) TOLONEWS -- The Taliban has announced a three-day cease-fire with Afghan government forces, reports Tolo News (Kabul). On June 9, the group announced the truce, which is to take effect during Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan and begins on June 14. The cease-fire does not cover foreign troops, said the Taliban. Arrangements would be made to release prisoners deemed to no longer be a threat, the group said. Families of prisoners would also be allowed to visit relatives held by the militant group. The move follows a unilateral cease-fire announced by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on June 7. That cease-fire extends from June 12 until June 19. The Afghan government welcomed the move and expressed hope that it would lead to face-to-face peace talks.

Item Number:2 Date: 06/11/2018 AUSTRIA - GOVERNMENT TARGETS MOSQUES WITH CONNECTIONS TO TURKEY (JUN 11/DTL) DAILY TELEGRAPH (LONDON) -- The Austrian government says that it is adopting a plan to combat foreign financing of religious groups, reports the Daily Telegraph (U.K.). Seven Turkish nationalist mosques in Vienna have been identified for closure and the Arab Religious Community (ATIB) group will be dissolved, said Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Friday. The group operates six of the mosques, which are suspected of links to Islamic extremism. The seventh mosque is believed to be connected to the Gray Wolves, a far-right Turkish nationalist group. Images appeared earlier this year of children as young as four being made to wear Turkish army uniforms and salute the Turkish flag inside the mosque in Vienna. "Parallel societies, political Islam and radicalization have no place in our country," said Kurz. The move against political Islam and Turkish nationalism is backed by a 2015 law that forbids religious communities from receiving funding from abroad. Two imams are being deported and another 60 are being investigated and could be expelled, said Interior Minister Herbert Kickl

Item Number:4 Date: 06/11/2018 CHINA - SHORTLY AFTER DISAPPEARANCE, MISSILES REAPPEAR ON DISPUTED S. CHINA SEA ISLANDS (JUN 11/CNN) CABLE NEWS NETWORK -- Missile systems have reappeared on a Chinese-controlled island in the South China Sea, reports CNN. Weapons systems which had previously disappeared are back on Woody Island in the Paracel island chain, ImageSat International (ISI) said on Monday, citing imagery analysis. When the disappearance of the systems was first reported on June 6, observers expressed skepticism that the move was permanent. The effects of salt and humidity could have forced the system's return to the mainland for maintenance, observers said at the time.

Item Number:7 Date: 06/11/2018 JAPAN - U.S. FIGHTER CRASHES SOUTH OF OKINAWA; PILOT IN SERIOUS CONDITION (JUN 11/JT) JAPAN TIMES -- An American pilot has been rescued after his F-15C fighter jet went down in the ocean near Okinawa, reports the Japan Times. The pilot was flying a routine training mission about 50 miles (80 km) south of Naha when he ejected from his aircraft on Monday, said U.S Air Force officials. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force launched a rescue effort an hour after receiving information of the incident, said Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera. The pilot was taken to the U.S. Naval Hospital, where he was said to be in "serious condition," reported the Stars and Strips. The cause of the crash was not immediately known. A board of officers will investigate the incident, reported Reuters. All F-15 flights from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa were suspended following the crash, reported Military.com. This was the Air Force's sixth non-combat crash for 2018, noted Fox News.

Item Number:8 Date: 06/11/2018 LIBYA - LNA GAINS CONTROL OF WESTERN DERNA (JUN 11/ASHARQ) ASHARQ AL-AWSAT -- Libyan armed forces loyal to the government in Tobruk say they have gained control of most of the coastal city of Derna, reports Asharq Al-Awsat (London). The Libyan National Army (LNA) took control of the city's western Shehha neighborhood on Saturday, said a senior military official. That neighborhood was the last in Derna under the control of opponents, characterized by the eastern government as "terrorists." LNA troops have cornered opposition forces to an area of less than half a square mile (1 square km) and are conducting sweeps for explosives, officials said. LNA commander Khalifa Haftar is planning to announce Derna's "liberation" before Eid al-Fitr on June 14, a senior military official told the newspaper. The military official denied reports that Egyptian troops are participating in LNA operations.

Item Number:10 Date: 06/11/2018 SOMALIA - AL-SHABAAB KILLS U.S. SOLDIER IN RAID (JUN 11/VOA) VOICE OF AMERICA NEWS -- One U.S. special operations soldier has been killed and four wounded in an Al-Shabaab attack in southwestern Somalia, reports the Voice of America News. On June 8, fighters from the Al-Qaida-linked group attacked U.S. forces who were helping Somali and Kenyan troops construct an outpost near Kismayo, said U.S. military officials. Militants set off explosions before opening fire with heavy weaponry, witnesses said. The soldiers were working to construct a permanent outpost in a contested area of the Jubba River Corridor, reported the Daily Beast. The terrorist group reportedly flooded the area to force the government forces to construct the outpost on higher ground. Two Somali soldiers may have been killed in the fighting, said witnesses. The U.S. troops were on a mission to clear Al-Shabaab from contested areas, villages controlled by the militants as well as set up the combat outpost, reported Reuters. Pentagon officials identified the slain American as Staff Sgt. Alexander Conrad, a human intelligence specialist assigned to 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg, N.C., reported Defense News. Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack via its affiliated news network.

Item Number:11 Date: 06/11/2018 SYRIA - STRIKE ON REBEL-HELD TOWNS KILL 16 (JUN 11/ALJAZ) AL JAZEERA -- At least 16 people have been killed and 18 wounded by Syrian government airstrikes in Idlib province, reports Al Jazeera (Qatar). Early Sunday, air raids targeted the villages of Binnish, Ram Hamdan and Taftanaz, all controlled by opposition forces, according Syria Civil Defense, the search-and-rescue group that is also known as the White Helmets. The strikes in Taftanaz hit the Al Noor children's hospital, killing at least four children and one woman, reported the Independent (U.K.). The attacks are believed to be in response to a Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) -- previously known as the Al-Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front -- attack on the villages of Foua and Kefraya, which have remained loyal to the government. Fighting in the mainly Shi'ite villages began on June 8 and was some of the worst seen in years, according to the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. At least six pro-government fighters and three HTS fighters were killed, said Syrian state media

Item Number:15 Date: 06/11/2018 USA - B-1B BOMBERS GROUNDED OVER EJECTION SEAT CONCERNS (JUN 11/MIL) MILITARY.COM -- The U.S. Air Force has temporarily grounded its B-1B bombers over safety concerns, reports Military.com. "During the safety investigation process following an emergency landing of a B-1B in Midland, an issue with ejection seat components was discovered that necessitated the stand-down," Air Force officials said on June 8. The order stems from a May incident at Midland Airport in Texas, said the service. On May 1, a B-1B from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, requested an emergency landing due to "an engine flameout." Subsequent image analysis suggested that an in-flight ejection had been attempted but failed. The Air Force says it will not discuss the details of the incident until the investigation is completed, reported the Air Force Times. Officials said the bomber fleet will be returned to flight once the safety issues are resolved.

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